No skilled trade is more in need of uniform training programs right now than solar. The solar industry currently has a skilled labor shortage, as well as a need for more apprenticeship programs in order to meet the requirements in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and earn the 30% investment tax credit (ITC).
To qualify for the ITC, 15% of total labor hours on a project must be completed by apprentices enrolled in a registered apprenticeship program approved by the US Department of Labor or State Apprenticeship Agency.
Seeing that need, Interplay Learning, which provides training programs for a ton of skilled trades, debuted a range of offerings for solar developers and EPCs to set up registered in-house apprentice programs and to launch flexible, online training programs.
“The IRA represents an enormous investment in solar installation and opens incredible new opportunities for developers, EPC companies, and contractors,” said Doug Donovan, founder and CEO of Interplay Learning. “Until now, the cost and complexity of in-house apprentice programs have been a barrier for many business owners. They simply didn’t have the resources to efficiently implement a program that would prepare new and existing team members for large-scale solar installation projects.”
With Interplay Learning, organizations can get expert-led training and hands-on simulations without the need for in-person teaching. By managing administrative details of the program, Interplay Learning allows companies to focus on their core operations while benefiting from Interplay’s insights to easily track progress and compliance.
In the Start package, Interplay offers guidance on registered apprenticeship policies as it relates to the IRA; designing, implementing and registering the program and incorporating Interplay’s flexible training courses into the apprenticeship curriculum; and sharing best practices for on-the-job training, related instruction and wage tracking.
In the Supplement package, companies can access Interplay Learning’s catalog of solar and electrical content and more than 450 hours of expert-led video courses and hands-on 3D simulations. In addition, the Supplement package offers assistance with curriculum mapping and RTI reporting.
In the Steward package, Interplay experts work closely with companies to design, register, implement, and manage their program; create a curriculum of courses to pair with on-the-job training; manage apprenticeship compliance and other ongoing administrative tasks; research grant opportunities, including applications and reporting; train supervisors on processes; and provide guidance for licensure in correlating states.
— Solar Builder magazine
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